Potential nanomedicinal applications and physicochemical nature of Hyphaene thebaica-reduced nano-samaria.

Herein we described the biofabrication of samarium oxide nanoparticles (HT-Sm2O3 NPs) by applying the aqueous fruit extract of Hyphaene thebaica was utilized as an eco-friendly chelating agent. The prepared NPs were subjected to various physicochemical properties and potential in biomedical applications. X-ray Diffraction (XRD) pattern revealed sharp peaks that corroborated with the Joint Committee on Powder Diffraction Standards (JCPDS) card no. 00-042-1464. Crystallite size obtained from Debye-Scherrer approximation and Williamson-Hall (W-H) plot was 28.73 and 69.3 nm, respectively. Optical bandgap was calculated by employing Kubelka-Munk (K-M) function and was found to be ~4.58 eV. Raman shift was observed at 121, 351, 424-, and 561 cm-1. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra revealed two major peaks positioned at 360 and 540 nm. The high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) analysis of HT-Sm2O3 nanoparticles (NPs) showed that they predominantly have spherical to cuboidal shapes. Additionally, the selected area electron diffraction (SAED) pattern presented spotty rings, indicating a high level of crystallinity in these NPs. The potential nanomedicine applications were studied using diverse bioassays using different treatments. The antioxidant activity demonstrated 45.71% ± 1.13% inhibition at 1000 µg/mL. Brine shrimp lethality assay revealed the highest cytotoxicity of 46.67% ± 3.33% at 1000 µg/mL and LC50 value of 1081 µg/mL. HT-Sm2O3 NPs exhibited inhibition of angiogenesis (20.41% ± 1.18%) at of 1000 µg/mL. MTT assay results indicated that HT-Sm2O3 NPs exhibit inhibitory effects on cell lines. Specifically, these NPs showed an IC50 value of 104.6 µg/mL against 3T3 cells. Against MCF-7 cells, the NPs demonstrated an IC50 value of 413.25 µg/mL. Additionally, in the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), the newly synthesized NPs showed an IC50 value of 320 µg/mL. The antidiabetic assessment through α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibition assays revealed, an IC50 value of 380 µg/mL for α-glucosidase and 952 µg/mL for α-amylase was calculated. Overall, our study suggested that the Sm2O3 NPs possess moderate anticancer, cholinesterase inhibition, and antidiabetic potential, however, needs further assessment. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: In this work, nano-samaria is synthesized using an eco-friendly and green approach. The nanoparticles were characterized using techniques such as Raman, HR-TEM, FTIR, DRS, XRD, and so on, and the applications were studied using multiple in vitro bioassays for Diabetes, Alzheimer, and Cancer. The nano-samaria revealed good potential for potential biomedical applications.

Biogenic synthesis of nickel cobaltite nanoparticles via a green route for enhancing the photocatalytic and electrochemical performances.

Green synthesis aligns with the global demand for eco-friendly and sustainable technologies, reducing the dependency on harmful chemicals and high-energy processes typically used in conventional synthesis techniques. This study highlights a novel green synthesis route for nickel cobaltite nanoparticles (NiCO2O4 NPs) utilizing Hyphaene thebaica extract as a natural reducing and stabilizing agent. The synthesized NiCO2O4 NPs, with sizes ranging from 20 to 30 nm, exhibited uniform diamond-like structures as confirmed by SEM and TEM imaging. XRD analysis verified the polycrystalline nature of these nanoparticles, while EDS measurements confirmed the elemental composition of Ni and Co. The presence of functional groups was subsequently verified through FT-IR analysis, and Raman spectroscopy further confirmed phase formation. Electrochemical evaluations revealed significant pseudocapacitive behavior, showing a specific capacitance of 519 F/g, demonstrating their potential for high-performance supercapacitors. To further assess the applicability of the synthesized NiCO2O4 NPs, their photocatalytic activity against methylene blue (MB) dye was investigated, resulting in a 99% degradation rate. This impressive photocatalytic efficiency highlights their potential application in environmental remediation. Overall, this work underscores the significant potential of green synthesis methods in producing high-performance nanomaterials while simultaneously reducing environmental impact and promoting sustainable development.

A Cross-Sectional Study of Temporomandibular Disorders Among Postgraduate Students.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of (TMD) as well as their potential risk factors among postgraduate students. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional and correlation study, 1255 postgraduate students from different universities were recruited to answer Fonseca's anamnestic index (FAI) in addition to collected demographic data and relevant dental history. Fonseca's anamnestic index (FAI) was used to classify their TMD severity. Five hundred ninety-three participants, that had previous clinical/radiographic TMD reports, out of 1255 were included. Chi-square and fisher's exact tests investigated the relation between each predictor and TMD at P≤.05. A logistic binary regression analysis examined the model fit using -2Log likelihood and Pseudo R2 tests at P≤.05. RESULTS: Based on previous clinical/radiographic reports and on FAI, 73.4% of the participants had TMD, of which 57% had mild dysfunction, followed by moderate (31.7%), and severe (11.3%). There was a statistically significant association between sex, depression, lip/object biting and clenching with TMD (P <.001), where females were 2.302 times more likely to develop TMD than males. The combination of lip biting and clenching in a female dramatically increases the risk of TMD (-2 Log Likelihood =385.7, P<.001 and a Cox and Snell value = 0.315 and a Nagelkerke value = 0.395). CONCLUSION: TMD seems to be highly prevalent among postgraduate students in Egypt, whereby female postgraduate students who bite their lips and/or grind their teeth are particularly highly prone to the condition. Object biting and depression could be also considered as risk factors.

Physicochemical and nanomedicine applications of phyto-reduced erbium oxide (Er2O3) nanoparticles.

Hyphaene thebaica fruits were used for the fabrication of spherical erbium oxide nanoparticles (HT-Er2O3 NPS) using a one-step simple bioreduction process. XRD pattern revealed a highly crystalline and pure phase with crystallite size of ~ 7.5 nm, whereas, the W-H plot revealed crystallite size of 11 nm. FTIR spectra revealed characteristic Er-O atomic vibrations in the fingerprint region. Bandgap was obtained as 5.25 eV using K-M function. The physicochemical and morphological nature was established using Raman spectroscopy, reflectance spectroscopy, SAED and HR-TEM. HT-Er2O3 NPS were further evaluated for antidiabetic potential in mice using in-vivo and in-vitro bioassays. The synthesized HT-Er2O3 NPS were screened for in vitro anti-diabetic potentials against α-glucosidase enzyme and α-amylase enzyme and their antioxidant potential was evaluated using DPPH free radical assay. A dose dependent inhibition was obtained against α-glucosidase (IC50 12 µg/mL) and α-amylase (IC50 78 µg/mL) while good DPPH free radical scavenging potential (IC50 78 µg mL-1) is reported. At 1000 µg/mL, the HT-Er2O3 NPS revealed 90.30% and 92.30% inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes. HT-Er2O3 NPs treated groups were observed to have better glycemic control in diabetic animals (503.66 ± 5.92*** on day 0 and 185.66 ± 2.60*** on day 21) when compared with positive control glibenclamide treated group. Further, HT-Er2O3 NPS therapy for 21 days caused a considerable effect on serum total lipids, cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL and LDL as compared to untreated diabetic group. In conclusion, our preliminary findings on HT-Er2O3 NPS revealed considerable antidiabetic potential and thus can be an effective candidate for controlling the post-prandial hyperglycemia. However, further studies are encouraged especially taking into consideration the toxicity aspects of the nanomaterial.

Airway Pressure Release Ventilation for Acute Respiratory Failure Due to Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: To explore the evidence surrounding the use of Airway Pressure Release Ventilation (APRV) in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods: A Systematic electronic search of PUBMED, EMBASE, and the WHO COVID-19 database. We also searched the grey literature via Google and preprint servers (medRxive and research square). Eligible studies included randomised controlled trials and observational studies comparing APRV to conventional mechanical ventilation (CMV) in adults with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure due to COVID-19 and reporting at least one of the following outcomes; in-hospital mortality, ventilator free days (VFDs), ICU length of stay (LOS), changes in gas exchange parameters, and barotrauma. Two authors independently screened and selected articles for inclusion and extracted data in a pre-specified form. Results: Of 181 articles screened, seven studies (one randomised controlled trial, two cohort studies, and four before-after studies) were included comprising 354 patients. APRV was initiated at a mean of 1.2-13 days after intubation. APRV wasn't associated with improved mortality compared to CMV (relative risk [RR], 1.20; 95% CI 0.70-2.05; I2, 61%) neither better VFDs (ratio of means [RoM], 0.80; 95% CI, 0.52-1.24; I2, 0%) nor ICU LOS (RoM, 1.10; 95% CI, 0.79-1.51; I2, 57%). Compared to CMV, APRV was associated with a 33% increase in PaO2/FiO2 ratio (RoM, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.21-1.48; I2, 29%) and a 9% decrease in PaCO2 (RoM, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.02-1.15; I2, 0%). There was no significant increased risk of barotrauma compared to CMV (RR, 1.55; 95% CI, 0.60-4.00; I2, 0%). Conclusions: In adult patients with COVID-19 requiring mechanical ventilation, APRV is associated with improved gas exchange but not mortality nor VFDs when compared with CMV. The results were limited by high uncertainty given the low quality of the available studies and limited number of patients. Adequately powered and well-designed clinical trials to define the role of APRV in COVID-19 patients are still needed. Registration: PROSPERO; CRD42021291234.

Reconstruction of 1,000 Projection Neurons Reveals New Cell Types and Organization of Long-Range Connectivity in the Mouse Brain.

Neuronal cell types are the nodes of neural circuits that determine the flow of information within the brain. Neuronal morphology, especially the shape of the axonal arbor, provides an essential descriptor of cell type and reveals how individual neurons route their output across the brain. Despite the importance of morphology, few projection neurons in the mouse brain have been reconstructed in their entirety. Here we present a robust and efficient platform for imaging and reconstructing complete neuronal morphologies, including axonal arbors that span substantial portions of the brain. We used this platform to reconstruct more than 1,000 projection neurons in the motor cortex, thalamus, subiculum, and hypothalamus. Together, the reconstructed neurons constitute more than 85 meters of axonal length and are available in a searchable online database. Axonal shapes revealed previously unknown subtypes of projection neurons and suggest organizational principles of long-range connectivity.

Noise distribution of Mueller matrices retrieved with active rotating polarimeters.

Two methods used to retrieve Mueller matrices from intensity measurements are revisited. It is shown that with symmetry or orthogonality considerations, numerical inversions of polarimetric equations can be avoided. With the obtained analytical formulas, noise propagation can be analyzed. If the intensity noise is a Gaussian white noise, the noise of Mueller matrices features remarkable properties. Mueller components are mutually correlated according to a scheme that involves decomposition into four blocks of 2x2 matrices. Variances are unequally distributed: the middle 2x2 block has the highest variance, the element on the bottom right has the lowest. These characteristics have been validated on experimental Mueller images of the free space.